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Mobile broadband abroad


jenevers

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I called into my local THREE phone shop to enquire about mobile broadband, and found out that I can buy a SIM card for my iPad Air2 that gives 12 gig for £40 and can be used in Europe (no need to buy a dongle). So if I go abroad for a month I could stay connected to the web. Sounds good. Is this THREE deal the best deal available and is there a previous, recent discussion on this forum, that I can refer to?

 

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My 3 sim is £18 per month for 30gb data, 600 minutes talk time and unlimited texts. This is all accessible in 71 countries without further charge under the excellent 3 "Feel at Home" plan". I have used it across Europe and the USA. The only downside is that you can't use the phone abroad as a hotspot so you can't connect a tablet. This sim is in my phone so I'm not sure how it differs to a tablet sim which, I assume, is data only. 

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3 hours ago, jenevers said:

I called into my local THREE phone shop to enquire about mobile broadband, and found out that I can buy a SIM card for my iPad Air2 that gives 12 gig for £40 and can be used in Europe (no need to buy a dongle). So if I go abroad for a month I could stay connected to the web. Sounds good. Is this THREE deal the best deal available and is there a previous, recent discussion on this forum, that I can refer to?

 

12Gb for £40 is very expensive. Not sure where the better deals are but that is too much. If you are just in one country then a local sim will be a better option if the UK ones dont allow roaming.

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It is a minefield, getting a good deal on internet connection when abroad. 

In this town, those in the know sit outside the restaurant opposite our house, and use the free WiFi that is available to any customer that asks the owner what the code is. We can use their WiFi free in the front half of our house too :) .

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55 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Year before last I asked 3 about using my Mifi in Belgium and was told that I would have to buy a local sim when I got there. On that basis I would say double check what 3 told you. I would not beleive what a 3 shop told me.

The law changed last year within Europe for roaming charges, Tony. 

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1 hour ago, rgreg said:

My 3 sim is £18 per month for 30gb data, 600 minutes talk time and unlimited texts. This is all accessible in 71 countries without further charge under the excellent 3 "Feel at Home" plan". I have used it across Europe and the USA. The only downside is that you can't use the phone abroad as a hotspot so you can't connect a tablet. This sim is in my phone so I'm not sure how it differs to a tablet sim which, I assume, is data only. 

I have used my phone on Three as a hotspot in the US worked with no problem, and of course was free.  I know they say it does not work, but I would say try it.

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50 minutes ago, john6767 said:

I have used my phone on Three as a hotspot in the US worked with no problem, and of course was free.  I know they say it does not work, but I would say try it.

That's an added bonus then. I've never tried it as a hotspot abroad,  just using the phone itself for browsing.

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2 hours ago, WotEver said:

The law changed last year within Europe for roaming charges, Tony. 

Bit is that just for phone calls? I could well see service providers getting round any laws every which way and data could be one way. I don't know, just very suspicious of telecos

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14 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Bit is that just for phone calls? I could well see service providers getting round any laws every which way and data could be one way. I don't know, just very suspicious of telecos

Nope, it’s data too, but watch out for sneaky caps and such like. Moderate usage will incur no extra cost at all - by law. 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/06/15/eu-roaming-charges-dropped-today-means-ee-vodafone-o2-three/amp/

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Using the Three service as a mobile hotspot is hit-and-miss on the mainland: it sometimes works in France but often drops the link after a few minutes, giving enough time for the missus to download her emails and the Grauniad. It works quite often in Spain. Couldn't make it work at all in Belgium. It does give much wider inclusive coverage abroad than any other provider of which I am aware (the only exception nearby being Andorra, but they operate a last-century mobile phone network). I recall that some of the more expensive Three packages permit a limited download when tethering while roaming. Look at the small print (in the case of Three, often ambiguous and confusing).

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1 hour ago, Onewheeler said:

Using the Three service as a mobile hotspot is hit-and-miss on the mainland: it sometimes works in France but often drops the link after a few minutes, giving enough time for the missus to download her emails and the Grauniad. It works quite often in Spain. Couldn't make it work at all in Belgium. It does give much wider inclusive coverage abroad than any other provider of which I am aware (the only exception nearby being Andorra, but they operate a last-century mobile phone network). I recall that some of the more expensive Three packages permit a limited download when tethering while roaming. Look at the small print (in the case of Three, often ambiguous and confusing).

The use of the hotspot abroad is mentored in the basic stuff about "Feel at Home", so I think it applies to all plans with feel at home on them.

Quote

Feel At Home.

Our Advanced plans let you use Feel At Home Around the World in 71 destinations, at no extra cost. You can also use your phone as a Personal Hotspot, and call free from your mobile to Customer Services. 

 

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Just watch out if you go to Russia,  was incredibly careful only to use local WiFi , turning own mobile signal on only briefly twice when we were lost whilst escaping the kgb.

Got £40 added on to my normal bill for about 1/2 gb of use. 

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When I went to Russia, USSR then, we were followed about by Jack booted soldiers with rifles. Had standard 8 movie film taken out of my camera at the docks and thrown overboard.  

  My 3 wi-fi dongle cost £10 per month for 20 Gorillabites on contract.  Works lovely abroad, on Canvey Island.

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The folk in Mobile shops are only there to flog you stuff.  If you have a big problem with connection ect you have to phone the call centre, in 3's case in Mumbai, who have all the buttons to check, adjust, alter and fix things, which the shops don't have. In such cases its a waste of time going to the shop as they can't do anymore than you can, though if you gone in armed with cakes they might put the call through for you, free of charge. When I've got a problem with anything at a shop I always take cakes along. Custard tarts are a favourite, always a suckcess.

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6 hours ago, WotEver said:

The law changed last year within Europe for roaming charges, Tony. 

Don't worry they will come back soon, next year probably, as it was a law made by the EU and so probably will not continue when we leave.

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28 minutes ago, Detling said:

Don't worry they will come back soon, next year probably, as it was a law made by the EU and so probably will not continue when we leave.

There is no basis whatsoever for that conclusion. I think perhaps you meant to post in the Brexit thread over in The Pub. 

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4 minutes ago, WotEver said:

There is no basis whatsoever for that conclusion. I think perhaps you meant to post in the Brexit thread over in The Pub. 

And I, obviously mistakenly ,thought that the mobile phone companies all pay their tax and do not donate to political parties.

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We used it extensively last year france itsly australia you cant hotspot. If you preload your credit and then use it as an add on ( our credit reloads automaticaly it) and go over it can eat your prepaid bit. If you phone local numbers not uk you get charged internaiinal rates.9

It sounds lovely me you are talking about pay as you go to me.  That as you would expect is different, does PAYG onThree include hotspot in the UK?  If you have a plan that includes Feel Like at Home you can use the phone as a hot spot, if you have an Advaced plan then it includes many other countries other than Europe.

 

Don't worry they will come back soon, next year probably, as it was a law made by the EU and so probably will not continue when we leave.

Three had Feel like at Home long before the recent EU changes and many non-EU countries are included, so I don't see why that would be the case.

Edited by john6767
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On 11/03/2018 at 14:23, john6767 said:

The use of the hotspot abroad is mentored in the basic stuff about "Feel at Home", so I think it applies to all plans with feel at home on them.

 

I can't find the quote that you quoted. The only mention on their web site says the opposite. Can you find a link please? Their customer service tells me that personal wifi hotspot is only available with a£5 per day addon.

 

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3 minutes ago, Onewheeler said:

I can't find the quote that you quoted. The only mention on their web site says the opposite. Can you find a link please? Their customer service tells me that personal wifi hotspot is only available with a£5 per day addon.

 

http://www.three.co.uk/standalone/priceplan-details?planid=1400624204948

Edited by john6767
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